[A2k] IFPI Intimidation Campaign in Switzerland

[Manon Ress]

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Re IFPI's campaign (from a private list).  Let me know if you want
contact info for more info.
Manon

QUOTE
SNIP:

IFPI Switzerland www.ifpi.ch started an intimidation campaign against
DJ's, sending registered letters and contracts they were meant to
sign lest IFPI sue them.  IFPI alleged that DJs' use of copied CDs in
their work violated art. 36 of the Swiss copyright law <http://
www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/231_1/a36.html>. But art.36 only speaks of
exclusive rights on the distribution of copies of supports, not of
performing content from a copied support, for which DJs already pay a
tax to Suisa.

According to Eric Baumann's "Drohung an DJs wird zum Rohrkrepierer"
<http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/dyn/news/wirtschaft/750751.html> article
(1) in Tages-Anzeiger (May 11, 2007), most DJs just ignored the
threats, none have been sued, and none have received a second warning
so far.

The difference between this intimidation campaign and IFPI's 2005
"Game Over" campaign meant to  frighten private users into paying up
for having downloaded copyrighted music - which is NOT illegal in
Switzerland - is that IFPI trumpeted Game Over in well-publicized
media conferences, whereas they don't even mention the "or else"
letters to the DJs  on their website. Just hoping to discretely
frighten  some DJ's into coughing up?

SNIP

IFPI Switzerland is also contemporaneously leading an aggressive
lobbying campaign for the removal from the bill of the new version of
the Swiss copyright law, of  the article specifying the restrictions
of the interdiction of circumventing digital anticopy  measures.  The
removal of these restrictions, i.e. making the interdiction of
circumvention absolute,  would very seriously harm blind people's to
information and knowledge (2). So the social usefulness of  a
possible IFPI's defeat in court would go beyond the DJs' circle as well.

END OF QUOTE
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Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@keionline.org,

1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA
Tel.:  +1.202.332.2670, Ext 16 Fax: +1.202.332.2673

1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727

24 Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX, UK
Tel: +44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252 Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607